After transforming the alleys of Lalitpur, the Rato Machindranath festival ends with the chariot festival of Bhoto Jatra as the final rite.
This grand festival, dedicated to Rato Machhindranath, the God of Rain, concludes during Bhoto Jatra, meaning the public display of a vest embedded with precious jewels. The Bhoto vest is said to bring good luck to anyone who sees it.
Legend has it that long ago, there was a pond called Taudaha. Although small, its depth and shape made it impossible to view entirely from any angle. In the pond lived a Serpent King, Karokotaka, whose wife got seriously ill.
To heal his wife, he requested a farmer in Bhaktapur, who instantly cured the queen. Overjoyed, the king gave the farmer priceless presents. Among them was a black velvet vest with jewellery on it.
The farmer would wear this vest everywhere, which stirred jealousy among everyone in the valley, including a ghost. One day, while the farmer was working in the field, the ghost took advantage of the farmer’s distraction and stole the vest.
Frustrated, the farmer tried to chase the ghost but to no avail. His search led him to the crowded Rato Machhindranath festival, where he saw the ghost wearing the vest in the crowd. It led to an argument between the farmer and the ghost, attracting the attention of King Guna Kamadev and his soldiers.
The king’s soldiers detained both and presented them before the monarch. The king, in his wisdom, listened to both sides. Unable to decide, he declared the vest would stay with the priests at Rato Machhindranath until someone could claim it with proof.
To this day, no one has claimed the Bhoto vest with evidence, and it remains in the deity’s custody. The sacred vest is displayed each year at Bhoto Jatra before Patan’s Kumari and Nepal’s President, keeping alive the hope that its rightful owner may one day return.
On regular days, the Bhoto is securely stored alongside the statue of Machhindranath, under the temple priest’s watchful care. Right after Bhoto Jatra, the priests respectfully transfer the idol from the chariot into a palanquin. Surrounded by chants and traditional music, the god is then carried to Bungamati, where he will stay for the next six months, just as he spends the other half of the year in Tabahal, Patan.
As the procession approaches Nakhhu Bridge, people from Bungamati and Khokana gather with straw-lit lamps in their hands. It’s a beautiful moment, lighting the way, guiding the god home with warmth and devotion. This tradition began before there were streetlights, so people from the community lit the dark paths.
This year’s Bhoto Jatra is extraordinary as it coincides with the homecoming of the idol. After almost ten years in a temporary shelter following the 2015 earthquake, the god is finally returning to his temple. The reconstruction is nearly complete, and the people are ecstatic to welcome him back to where he belongs.
The head of the Patan Division of the Guthi Sansthan displays the bhoto in public in Jawalakhel. Celebrated with traditional music, hymns, and cultural performances, the display draws a large crowd, including government officials and the living goddess Kumari.
In Lalitpur, thousands of people gathered yesterday to witness the raising of the sacred vest once more.
Following the display, there was silence in the crowd. With curiosity and hope, people watched to see if the true owner had returned. But no rightful owner stepped forward. And so, the vest returned to the care of the deity, its mystery intact.
Pratikshya Bhatta is a junior editor with Nepal Connect.
